Sumoto City

Sister City relationship between Hawai‘i County and Sumoto City was established on August 9, 2000. It is located virtually in the center of Awaji Island, the largest island in the Seto Inland Sea.

Sumoto City is famous for Kobe Beef, Naruto oranges and Awaji onions. It has a humid subtropical climate with hot summers and cool winters.

In 2000, a group of students from Sumoto visited Hilo to participate in a student exchange. Hilo High School Key Club members’ families provided homestays for the visiting students and the schedule of events included cultural and educational activities. Sumoto has continued to send a group of students every summer, accompanied by their school chaperones and a group of business representatives from Sumoto International.

In 2007, Hawai‘i Island sent a group of students from Hilo High School to Sumoto for the first time. As of 2014, there have been four groups that have traveled to Sumoto to participate in a student cultural and educational exchange.